Booze, Beignets, and the Magic of Mardi Gras
by xHinaLovex
Summary: AU Hinata gets coerced into a trip to New Orleans with her girl friends for Mardi Gras. Initially regretting her decision, she meets a handsome blond who seems like he could turn things around. See what kind of shenanigans will happen when the Naruto crew hits New Orleans.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! So, I announced yesterday that I would be doing a short series as a continuation of the Mardi Gras oneshot I wrote for NaruHina month. I just want to thank y'all again for all the positive feedback you gave on those stories and I'm glad they went over so well because I truly enjoyed them!**

 **Now, I announced that I would be posting the new chapter Friday (tomorrow), but I realized that some people might not have read my NaruHina month stuff so I figured I'd post this today for all of them.**

 **So, here you go! I'm really looking forward to exploring the world of Mardi Gras with my favorite characters :-)**

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 **Chapter One (Oneshot from NaruHina Month)**

She shouldn't be here. When her friends had suggested this trip, she had initially told them no. Why hadn't she listened to herself? Now that she was here, there was no going back.

Hinata sat with her friends Sakura, Ino, and TenTen around a table for breakfast at the hotel where they were staying in New Orleans. It was Mardi Gras and she had agreed to go on an all girl trip with her friends after much begging and pleading on their part. She had been hesitant at first-the drunken revelry and occasional toplessness was not really her forte-but her friends had been so insistent and she didn't like to disappoint.

Her three friends each had some beaded necklaces on which had been acquired by… rather immodest means. When they first arrived, she had seen people wandering around with beads of every color hanging around their necks and at first it all seemed rather fun. However, apparently the rumors about flashing at Mardi Gras had not actually been rumors and she had quickly discovered that there was a price to pay to gain such colorful accessories. There were, of course, random strands strewn about the streets from various parties, but Hinata did not want to pick those up as her friends had suggested because then people might think that she had… her face turned bright red just thinking about it.

Looking around the dining area, she noticed most of the occupants were around the same age as she and her friends, somewhere in their twenties, and all had on the same colorful beads. Her friends certainly did not have as many as others did and, admittedly, had all been rather drunk the evening before when they had gained them. Hinata shook her head, pretty determined that she would not be joining them again that night in the French Quarter. She had read up on a lot of the history of the city and was planning to find some kind of tour or something more to her tastes.

As she continued her scan of the room she accidentally locked eyes with the only person currently eating alone. He was tall, tan, and extraordinarily blond. His was not the blond that came from a bottle, but the kind that came from having naturally light hair and spending a lot of time in the sun. His blue eyes caught her own and after a second, he smirked, causing her to squeak in embarrassment at having been caught staring and look away.

TenTen heard her outburst and looked at her questioningly, but when Hinata shook her head and said it was nothing, she took her word for it and continued her conversation with the other girls.

As Ino, Sakura, and TenTen planned out their day's activities, Hinata dared to sneak another glance at the beautiful blond man across the room. To her surprise, and mortification, he was still looking her way and caught her gaze again. Now thoroughly embarrassed, Hinata began to eat faster, wanting to get away quickly before she did anything else.

Suddenly her friends started whispering and elbowing one another, which caught Hinata's attention. She looked in the direction they were all looking and saw the blond currently crossing the room, hands in his pockets. He walked leisurely, as if he were taking a stroll, but he clearly had a destination in mind and it seemed that their table was it.

Hinata wasn't sure what to do with herself. It seemed as if he got more attractive the closer he came. He was wearing a simple white tshirt and jeans and she still somehow felt as if she was the one not dressed to see anyone. Around his neck hung those same accursed beads and she began to panic, thinking that perhaps he was a pervert and had come to town for Mardi Gras for the sole purpose of making women lift their shirts for beads.

By the time he reached their table, Hinata was quite worked up. However, she took a deep breath to calm herself, trying not to judge the guy just because he was wearing some colorful accessories. After all, her friends each had some and she knew that they were all good people.

The man looked around their table, nodding to all the women as he greeted them, "Good morning, ladies."

His tone was polite and Hinata was feeling bad for making some hasty judgments, even if she had not voiced them out loud.

"Well, hello there!" said Ino, looking him up and down. He, however, took no notice of this and focused his gaze solely on Hinata.

"Hello, miss," he said to her, flashing a smile that made her stomach flutter.

Seeing that this handsome man was rather focused on their shy friend, and deciding that he seemed harmless, Hinata's three friends shared a conspiratorial glance before standing up.

"Huh?" the young woman was confused. "Where are you going?"

"Oh, we're going to head up to the room to finish getting ready. You just come up as soon as you're done!" Sakura said, shooting her a mischievous smile.

Hinata looked to TenTen for help, but her friend just shot her a slightly apologetic look that also said, 'It's for your own good.'

And in a flash, she found herself alone with the gorgeous young man.

He watched, looking slightly amused, as Hinata shifted uncomfortably in her chair. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do or say.

"Um, sorry about earlier," she said, thinking that maybe he came to confront her about staring at him during his breakfast. "I didn't mean to disrupt your meal or anything. I just was looking around and happened to catch your eye. I do that a lot, actually, um, people watch, I mean. So I wasn't trying to single you out or be creepy or anything…"

Clearly talking to strangers wasn't one of her strengths.

Again he flashed that charming smile and Hinata felt her cheeks heat up as she heard his low voice.

"It's no problem, I didn't think you were creepy."

She looked up, thankful that he was being nice about the whole thing. Honestly, she wouldn't have blamed him if he had thought she was creepy or weird. It certainly wouldn't be the first time someone called her that. Maybe she could like this guy.

"I was just noticing you didn't seem to have any beads."

Oh god. She spoke too soon. He _was_ a pervert! He had just come over there to get her to take her top off!

The blond chucked at her horrified face, and figured he should probably reassure her.

"Relax, I was just going to offer you one of mine."

Apparently that had not made things any better.

"I'm not going to-to… I'm not going to do _that_ so you can just leave if that's what you came for!" Hinata tried to sound outraged, but her voice wasn't quite cooperating. Despite her sputtering, however, she felt she got her point across. Take that, perv.

He raised an eyebrow. Apparently this kitten had claws.

"You realize that you don't actually have to expose yourself in order to get a necklace, right? Jeez, where did you ladies go last night, Bourbon Street? It can get a little crazy over there."

Hinata's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Seriously, I was just offering to give you one. As in, just hand it over without asking for anything in return. I figured it was a shame that a pretty girl like you didn't have any. I even have one that matches your eyes."

The blond lifted part of a light purple necklace that did, indeed match her eyes. She felt a little bad about her outburst, but was still on her guard.

"S-so, you wanted to give me one of your necklaces?"

"That's right."

"...And you don't want anything in return?"

"Well, I definitely wouldn't say no to your number, but I'm not going to hold it hostage or anything. It's yours if you want it, no strings attached."

He pulled the beads over his head and Hinata began to reach for it, but stopped.

"But, um, I thought that it was a rule that girls were supposed to… you know…"

The blond sighed and shook his head. "Nah, that's just something some guys say. It might be those guys' rule, but it's certainly not like an official Mardi Gras rule or anything."

The bluenette still looked skeptical and he sighed.

"Seriously, I went to college down here so I've been to my fair share of Mardi Gras. A lot of people think that the French Quarter is the only place to go, but there are actually a lot more events that go on elsewhere in the city. There's really something for everyone."

Hinata was starting to feel silly for reacting so badly, she tentatively reached over and took the necklace he was holding out. Instead of putting it on, however, she played with it, thankful for something to keep her hands occupied as she tended to fiddle with them when nervous.

She glanced up shyly to see his blue eyes still fixated on her. His stare was intent, but not unkind, and she again felt heat creep into her cheeks.

"Um, thank you," she said, "I really like them."

"I'm glad," he replied with a smile. "There are a couple of events that give out actual glass beads instead of the plastic ones and I usually go around collecting them. But I felt like you should have those."

Touched by the gesture, she gave him a shy smile.

"Now, I know I said I wouldn't ask for anything in return," he began and Hinata tensed, waiting for the other shoe to drop, "but I would actually love to know your name."

Her eyes widened, and she chastised herself for being so silly. "I'm Hinata," she said, giving him another smile.

"Hinata… I like it," he said. "It suits you! I'm Naruto, by the way."

"It's nice to meet you," she said politely and he grinned.

"Tell you what, Hinata," he began as he slipped a piece of paper into her hand, "I'm staying here too, obviously, and I would love to see you some more. So, if you want to hang out or if you get tired of partying with your friends you can give me a call and I can show you some places that are a little less, uh, rowdy."

She nodded, and said, "I would like that a lot, actually."

"Great!" he said as he stood up, "Well in that case, I look forward to hearing from you!"

And with one last smile, he turned and walked off towards the stairs leaving a flushed and smiling stupidly Hinata in his wake. She was no longer regretting agreeing to this trip.

* * *

 **There you have it! Something new tomorrow :-)**


	2. Chapter 2

**So, I wanted to upload this earlier, like 6-7 hours ago kind of earlier, but my document app was glitching so I had to wait until I could get on my computer. I also want to thank MYK-ON, AlabasterConstellation, Lana Iguana, and SpicyWifey for your reviews! They mean a lot to me :-)  
**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

Hinata really needed to learn how to say "no." As she pushed her way through the loud, crowded space she practiced saying it in her mind: 'No. No. No. _Non._ ' She even threw in a French no just for good measure. How come she was perfectly capable of thinking the word, but the minute her friends gave her their pleading looks she would cave and do what they wanted?

She was a bit of a people pleaser, she supposed. That was probably the reason her childhood had been so difficult - her father was impossible to please and that's all she wanted to do. Hinata sighed. If only he could see her now. He'd probably have a heart attack.

The bluenette imagined her cousin's face if he could see her and giggled to herself, not worrying about looking weird since everyone around her was so drunk. If Neji knew where she was, where his girlfriend was, his eyes would probably roll back in his head and he would faint. TenTen had been the one to convince him that Hinata would be okay coming with them, and Hinata was sure that he was glad the two would be there looking out for one another. Sakura and Ino had a reputation for getting a little crazy at times.

They were good people, though. And they had very stressful jobs, Sakura as a surgeon and Ino as a psychiatrist. Hinata really couldn't blame them for cutting loose whenever they got the chance. She just wished they would stop dragging her with them all the time.

Lavender eyes scanned the room trying to find Sakura's signature pink hair or Ino's long, icy blonde ponytail. When she still couldn't see them, she tried looking for TenTen. After fifteen minutes with no luck, she shrugged and went to try to find a place to sit. The dance floor was getting to be too much for her and she wanted to rest for a bit before continuing to look for her friends.

As she was making her way over to some seating, she found herself running straight into a broad chest. Hinata looked up to apologize, and grew uncomfortable at the way the man was leering at her.

"Well hello, little lady," he said and Hinata wrinkled her nose. His breath reeked of alcohol and his eyes were a bit unfocused.

"Hello, um, I'm sorry for running into you," she said, not wanting to make him angry. She knew that anger and drunkenness did not mix particularly well.

He smiled, but the smile was not bright and warm like the young man she had met earlier that day. Instead it looked sleazy and made her feel more uncomfortable. He hadn't said anything in response, and she wasn't sure what exactly that meant, but instead of staying to find out she tried to excuse herself, saying "I have to go now. Sorry again."

Hinata started to move away, but felt his hand on her wrist. The grip wasn't tight, but it was enough to make her tense. She had some martial arts training - her father's way of trying to toughen her up - and she used a maneuver to free herself without seeming like she meant to. She glanced around and noticed a door a couple of feet away.

"Sorry, I do have to go. Nature calls, you know how it is!" she said and made a beeline to the door before opening and closing it behind her.

Luckily the man was either too drunk, stunned, or just didn't care enough when there were so many other drunk females around him and he didn't try to follow. Hinata let out a sigh of relief before realizing that she was now in some kind of dark enclosed space. Before her eyes could adjust, she practically jumped out of her skin at the sound of a deep voice coming from very close.

"Damnit. Now you've fucking done it."

"P-pardon?" she asked, terrified and a little offended by the tone.

"That door won't open from the inside," the deep voice sounded again and her eyes went wide.

She turned immediately and tried the knob, tugging in vain as the door did indeed stay shut.

"I told you it didn't open from the inside. Are you hard of hearing or something?"

Hinata could now make out some vague shapes and realized she must be in some kind of supply closet. She saw the outline of a man sitting just a couple feet away and scrambled as far as she could to the opposite side, which was unfortunately only about another foot.

"Don't get any funny ideas just because we're in here," the voice said again and Hinata could feel herself becoming indignant. Didn't he see her trying to get away from him? And why would he just assume that about her?

"You don't know a-anything about me so I'd appreciate it if you would s-stop making comments like that."

The effect was somewhat ruined by her nervous stutter, but she heard something like a grunt in response and when he hadn't said anything else for another minute she took it as assent.

Realizing she likely wouldn't be getting out of there anytime soon, Hinata sat down on the floor. Her leg accidentally bumped the man who was in there with her and she could practically feel the annoyance radiating off of him. She quickly brought her knees up to her chest and pulled out her phone.

TenTen would have been her best bet for rescuing her as she was likely the least drunk and constantly checked her phone. Unfortunately, her phone had been almost dead before they left for the evening and she had left it charging in the room, figuring Neji could get ahold of her through Hinata if he needed to.

Sakura had received a call earlier that day from the hospital from a fellow doctor who had apparently not realized she was on vacation and gone off on her for some scheduling issue that had not been her fault in the first place. The pinkette had a bit of a short temper and after giving the man a piece of her mind, had turned her phone off, thrown it onto the bed, and refused to take it anywhere.

That only left Ino.

Hinata groaned. Ino did always have her phone on her, but she never heard or felt it when she was out. Sometimes she would even store the item in her bra and still wouldn't feel the vibrations from a call due to the loud music and dancing.

Hinata tried calling anyway. When the call rang through to voicemail she hung up and dialed again. Desperate, she tried one last time before sending off a text message that she knew was even less likely to be seen and putting her head in her hands.

She was on vacation. She was far from home so anyone she would usually call for help was out. And now, she couldn't even get in contact with the people she was here with. She _really_ needed to start saying "no."

The bluenette leaned her head back and scrolled through her contacts, in some vain attempt to feel like she was still trying to escape. She couldn't understand why the rude guy was just sitting there calmly. Did he already have someone on their way to help? Wouldn't it be common courtesy to let her know?

"Um, excuse me," she said.

No reply.

"E-excuse me," she said a little louder that time.

Still no response. Maybe he had fallen asleep? Or was he just ignoring her? She shined her phone light in his general direction to check, but quickly turned it off at the glare she received.

"What the fuck?" the man said.

"I was talking and you weren't responding! I was just checking to see if you were asleep."

"Why? Trying to take advantage of me while I'm unconscious? Tch, typical."

Why on earth would he think something like that?! Fine, she didn't want his help anyway. Even if he did have someone on his way to help the person would probably be a jerk as well.

Hinata pouted and began scrolling yet again through her contacts. This time, however, she stopped as she came to her newest number: Naruto.

She hadn't had the courage to message him yet. She had barely had the courage to put his number in her phone, but Ino threatened to steal it and send him some raunchy texts pretending to be her if she didn't so she'd quickly programmed it in. She didn't honestly think the Yamanaka would do something like that, but it was always better safe than sorry.

Could she ask him for help? She didn't exactly have any other options down here and she really wanted to get away from this person she was stuck with. Then again, she didn't want the first thing she ever sent Naruto to be a text begging him to come rescue her from some random storage closet. He'd probably think she was crazy.

Out of options, Hinata gathered up what courage she could and sent him a message.

'Hey.'

Okay, maybe that hadn't exactly expressed the urgency she was feeling.

 _'Who is this?'_ he texted back, and she smacked the back of her head against the wall at her own stupidity. She hadn't given him her number earlier so there was no way he would know who this was.

Suddenly, she was feeling less brave as she realized that even if she told him who it was, he might not remember. He was, after all, a very attractive young man and New Orleans was currently filled with beautiful young people all looking to have a good time. What's to say he hadn't already met someone else, someone less plain and boring?

 _'Is this Hinata?'_

Her eyes widened and suddenly all the insecurities that had just been eating at her melted away. He remembered her! And if he was giving his number out to a ton of girls he probably wouldn't be asking all of them if they were her. That didn't seem like smart playboy practice. She smiled before typing back, 'It is, sorry. I forgot that I hadn't given you my number.'

 _'Well, you can't take it back now ;-)'_

Hinata almost giggled at the flirtatious tone, but stopped herself at the last second, not wanting to hear any more scathing comments from her closet buddy. At the thought of him, she was suddenly reminded of her predicament and why she had messaged Naruto in the first place. Before she could even figure out how to explain her situation, she received another message.

 _'So, do you need me to come rescue you?'_

Hinata gasped. How did he know? Was he psychic? She felt her phone buzz again in her hand and read his next message.

 _'You'd mentioned your friends had gone to Bourbon Street last night and it didn't seem like your scene. I meant it when I said I wouldn't mind showing you some other places you might like better.'_

Oh, well now she felt a little silly.

'I actually could use some rescuing,' she typed out, wanting to hear his answer before explaining the situation. If he was busy she didn't want him to feel like he had to come just because she told him she was trapped in a closet with some grumpy stranger. At least this stranger seemed safe enough, even if his attitude was unpleasant.

 _'No problem. I'm actually heading that way to help a friend out with something. How about when I'm done with that I give you a call and you can let me know where you are so I can meet you?'_

Hinata nodded before realizing he couldn't see her because he was, in fact, not there and hastily typed out her agreement. She sighed, glad that she would be getting out of there soon and blushed at the thought of being rescued by such a cute guy.

About ten minutes later, the closet door burst open and she shielded her eyes against the light shining in. The club hadn't been brightly lit, but it was intense compared to the darkness she had been sitting in.

"Dobe," she heard the rude man say to the person she assumed was their savior, "It's about fucking time."

"Seriously? I was like halfway across town when you called! I came as fast as I could and that's the thanks I get? I should just leave you here."

Her fellow captive was standing in the doorway now, blocking their rescuer from sight, but she was almost positive that it was his voice. When he started to close the door in mock anger she panicked and quickly stood up, yelling, "No!"

Sure enough, after she stood up she found herself looking into the surprised blue eyes of Naruto.

"Hinata?" he asked in confusion, "What were you doing in the closet with Sasuke?"

"Sasuke?" she asked before realizing that must be the name of the man she had been stuck with. "Oh, you know him?"

"Yeah, this is my best friend! He's the one I told you I was helping. He didn't tell me anyone else was in there with him."

"Your friend?" she said with disbelief. Sasuke was like Naruto's polar opposite. He was rude and cold, where Naruto was warm and friendly. He even looked his opposite, with jet black hair and eyes such a dark brown they were practically black as well. She would admit that he was quite attractive, but his personality left a lot to be desired.

The blond nodded in affirmation and she looked between the two, giving Sasuke a wary glance before saying, "B-but he's so _mean_."

Naruto's eyes widened and Hinata winced at her stupidity. She would admit that she wasn't great at talking to guys, but she knew it was not a good idea to insult the best friend of the guy you were attracted to. How did that saying go? Bros before hoes?

Suddenly the blond threw his head back and started laughing. It was a loud hearty laugh and Hinata was mesmerized at the _joie de vivre_ that practically radiated off of him. Once he had finished laughing, he put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder to stabilize himself and looked at Hinata, eyes glittering with mirth.

"Ha! I can see he made quite the impression on you! Then again, I probably wouldn't want to be stuck in closet with this asshole either."

He followed his statement with a wink and ignored the icy glare Sasuke shot his way. Hinata blushed at the gesture, making Naruto smile even wider. She was too cute for her own good.

"Well," he said again with that beautiful smile that made her melt, "where do we go from here?"

* * *

 **There you go! The second installment in this little series. I can't promise consistent updates because I'm trying really hard to consistently update my other chapter stories, but I promise to do my best. Besides, when I'm having trouble with one thing I usually write on another to keep my brain working so this definitely won't just sit there. I promise :-)**

 **Anyway, let me know what you think!**


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